Tube Noise [3]

Andrew Dismore: What is the estimated cost of replacing the new concrete sleepers that have been installed in areas that now suffer tube noise with wooden sleepers?

The Mayor: Transport for London would not consider installing new timber sleepers, due to the difficulties in sourcing suitable sustainable materials, and the overall cost of timber sleepers compared to other forms.
Changing moisture levels mean that timber sleepers require regular and expensive maintenance works, to ensure that they remain in a safe condition.

CS9 (4)

Tony Devenish: Do you recognise that if CS9 goes ahead in its current form it will mean “predicted increases in traffic by 9% as a result of the proposed scheme along A219 Shepherds Bush Road and a 3% increase in vehicles using A3220 Holland Road with the proposed scheme.”? Do you think these increases would be acceptable?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/14428.

Jacobs Report (1)

David Kurten: Who carried out the Economic Integrated Impact Assessment, which included economic and business impacts and why they did not consider the impact on taxi drivers’ health and the stress and hardship that would result in cabbies and their families being unable to afford to buy a new Electric Taxi at £65,000 (before the £7,500 grant) or find a suitable second-hand replacement?

The Mayor: As I responded previously in Mayor's Question 2017/2635, Transport for London (TfL) commissioned Jacobs to assess the environmental, health, equality and economic and business impacts of the original Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) proposals to inform the October 2014 consultation. Jacobs summarised its findings in the Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA).
This identified the impacts on taxi and PHV owners of the requirement for newly licensed taxis to be zero emissions capable from January 2018, using the information available at the time. It set out how TfL would set up a fund to support drivers of older taxis (later known as the delicensing fund), and lobby the Office for Low Emission Vehicles for further funding towards the purchase of Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis. At that time, no ZEC taxis were available and the cost of a ZEC taxi was not confirmed.
To inform the second consultation in July 2015, Jacobs updated the IIA to reflect the revised taxi and private hire proposals, including the retention of the 15-year taxi age limit and the introduction of a delicensing scheme to remove the oldest taxis. These documents are available on TfL's website.
TfL also undertook the IIA for the recent consultation on reducing taxi age limits. This included input from stakeholder consultation from the taxi trade, and was peer-reviewed by an independent consultant.
In addition to the part-TfL funded £7,500 grant for purchase of the new ZEC taxi to support drivers who want to delicense their Euro 3, 4 or 5 vehicles, there is a £42m fund for delicensing and conversion of Euro 5 taxis to LPG (up to £5m for LPG conversions).

Ride London and Supporting Those Reliant on Cars to Remain Mobile

Jennette Arnold: The Prudential RideLondon days (3rd and 4th August) and accompanying road closures present problems to those with limited mobility who rely on their vehicle to get around locally. What help is being offered to them to maintain their independence around the event?

The Mayor: RideLondon can arrange for Managed Access Plans to assist people with mobility issues to complete essential journeys during the event weekend, including those who are reliant on vehicles. Every year, Transport for London (TfL) works with a large number of residents and businesses prior to the weekend to make specific arrangements to ensure their journeys can be completed as expected during both days of the event.
Detailed road closure leaflets are also delivered by Royal Mail to more than 850,000 residential and business addresses across the route four weeks before the event.
People who require any additional support regarding road closures or journey planning can visit prudentialridelondon.co.uk/road-closures, or contact TfL’s Customer Services team on 0345 894 9773. The team will be available to help from 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, from 09:00 - 17:30 on Saturday 3 August and from 05:00 – 19:00 on Sunday 4 August.

Local Implementation Plans

Caroline Russell: For each London borough, could you provide borough targets and target years for each metric in their approved Local Implementation Plan, as detailed in Sample Table ST07 in your April 2018 LIP3 template? (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/lip3-template-april2018.pdf)

The Mayor: Local Implementation Plan targets for the relevant Mayor’s Transport Strategy outcomes for each of the boroughs is contained in the attachment.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (10)

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide the total number of incidents of crime on London Bus routes South of the river over the last year and a breakdown by type of crime?

The Mayor: The below table shows the number of recorded crimes on London bus routes south of the river during 2018/2019.
It’s important to note that there are 21 boroughs north of the river, compared to 12 boroughs south of the river. A number of heavily used sections of the network, such as Westminster and the City of London, are north of the river. The transport infrastructure and passenger volumes are very different, which means it is not possible to make direct comparisons between levels of crime in north and south London.
Recorded crimes on the Bus network 2018/19 – South London
Crime type
Number of recorded offences
Burglary
8
Criminal Damage
234
Drugs
46
Fraud & Forgery
0
Other notifiable offences
64
Robbery
401
Sexual Offences
255
Theft & Handling
1825
Violence against the person
2093
Total
4926

Intelligent Speed Adaptation (4)

Caroline Russell: In answer to my question 2018/5191 you made a commitment for 700 buses having Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) by the end of June 2018. How many are now in operation?

The Mayor: There are currently 808 buses enabled with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology. Transport for London anticipates having around 1,150 buses enabled with ISA by the end of the year and is working with bus manufacturers to increase the rate of roll out as far as possible.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (16)

Andrew Boff: How many London buses broke down over the last year whilst North of the river?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/14315.

Accessibility to The Transport Network

Florence Eshalomi: Aside from step-free access, what work is TfL doing to improve accessibility to the transport network for all passengers?

The Mayor: I am committed to making London’s transport system more accessible and inclusive.
In addition to the ongoing step-free programme, Transport for London (TfL) is investing in a variety of areas that will provide a more accessible and inclusive transport system. This includes, but is not limited to, new trains being more accessible and increasing the knowledge of customer’s accessibility needs among staff. TfL has also recently held a second Priority Seating Week, following on from the launch of the Please offer me a seat badge in 2016. It is also working to improve real-time step-free access updates for lifts and escalators.
My Healthy Streets Approach is making London’s streets and places more accessible and inclusive, including working to make cycling more accessible, such as installing inclusive cycle parking along Cycleway 4. TfL has also been examining how streets can be made more accessible such as through the use of tactile paving and the removal of street clutter.

Approval of Local Implementation Plans

Caroline Russell: I note the comments made in Director's decisions DD2338 and DD2363 on the approval of Local Implementation Plans (LIPs). These decisions include commentary that borough opposition to implementing vision zero, bus lanes, cycle lanes and filtered permeability was encountered. What steps are you taking to ensure that approved LIPs will deliver transformative schemes that reduce road danger, reduce traffic and provide space for walking and cycling?

The Mayor: Where issues relating to the delivery of the outcomes of the MTS were identified in the consultation draft of the Local Implementation Plans, Transport for London (TfL) officers met regularly with borough officers to successfully address these concerns and improve the quality of the final submissions. All approved LIP submissions have demonstrated how they will contribute towards the MTS goals and outcomes. Regular liaison between TfL and boroughs will continue to ensure that appropriate schemes are delivered. In addition, TfL will be monitoring the achievement of the outcomes and targets of the MTS.

Delivery of protected cycle routes (7)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2019/12035. Could you also provide the length in kilometres, and the start and end points for each delivered section of protected cycle route?

The Mayor: I continue to make good progress on my election pledge of tripling the amount of protected space the last Mayor delivered.
I have followed the previous administration’s approach to reporting on protected space delivered by counting the length of protected space once construction starts on a section of route. On this basis, I have already doubled the amount of protected space the last Mayor delivered.
Following your question in June 2019, I confirmed that since November 2018, over 10km of protected space has been delivered.A breakdown of the locations where protected space has been delivered in this timeframe is as follows:

Tower Bridge Flooding

Keith Prince: In relation to question 2018/3439, the flooding on the road to the north of Tower Bridge returned during the heavy rains in June. Please can you address this and possibly look at an annual clearing of the gullies to avoid this reoccurring?

The Mayor: Last spring Transport for London (TfL) began an annual clean of the gullies along Tower Bridge following Mayor's Question 2018/3439, working with the Metropolitan Police Service.
After the flooding in June, TfL has started to look at any further physical changes that can be made to help limit any further flooding.

Croydon Tram Guardian Device and Bus Driver Fatigue

Caroline Pidgeon: At a meeting of the London Assembly Transport Committee on 15th May 2019 the managing director of First Group TOL stated that as a result of data received from the tram’s in-cab ‘Guardian Device” installed after the Croydon Tram Crash that driver rotas were being changed to reduce fatigue. Has TfL considered installing this device on buses?

The Mayor: The same fatigue detection technology used on trams is currently being trialled by two London bus operators to understand if it can make a wider contribution. The outcomes of these trials will be considered alongside the findings of research into bus driver fatigue, carried out by Loughborough University and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, due to be published later this summer. These sources of information will help TfL and the bus industry consider how safety can be best advanced in London and the UK.

Safety Performance on TfL’s Bus Operator League Tables

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to Question 2019/8843is it not the case that TfL publishing "Bus Operator League Tables" for time delivery but not for safety undermines your Vision Zero objective?

The Mayor: Not at all. As discussed in detail at the Transport Committee scrutiny session on 15 May, TfL wants operators to work together and share best practice in support of a safe network rather than work in isolation. Safety league tables would discourage this collaborative and open approach.
All serious incidents on the network are followed up, and any lessons are shared with all operators to promote accident and injury reduction. TfL also has a comprehensive Bus Safety Programme to help put in place strategic plans to achieve my Vision Zero target of no-one being killed on or by a bus by 2030.

Tube Noise Abatement (2)

Tony Devenish: Why isn’t the replacement of the southbound track from Victoria to Pimlico being implemented immediately with the £1.3m reserve set aside for risks arising from the launching of the night tube service?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/14421.

Tube Noise Abatement (1)

Tony Devenish: When will TfL complete the replacement of the southbound Victoria line track from Victoria to Pimlico, which residents were previously told would be completed by the end of 2018?

The Mayor: Following complaints from local residents, Transport for London (TfL) carried out approximately 50 metres of rail replacement works in June 2018. This work brought a reduction in noise of approximately 5dB for at least one property where follow up measurements were taken.
Given that the southbound Victoria line track between Victoria and Pimlico is in good condition, it is unlikely that further track renewal would materially reduce current noise levels. TfL plans to carry out rail grinding in this area from October 2019 to maintain this good track condition. TfL prioritises investment in track renewals based on the condition of the track and providing a safe and reliable railway for customers. When track assets are old and worn, the required maintenance effort becomes more intensive with a higher likelihood of failure, which then leads to service delays. Therefore, TfL is prioritising other parts of the network for track renewal works in line with this approach.

Connecting the Capital

Florence Eshalomi: Following the December 2015 Connecting the Capital plan, can you confirm what further analysis, if any, has been undertaken by TfL on opportunities for linking growth areas such as Charlton Riverside and the Royal Docks.

The Mayor: Transport for London is currently working with partners to improve the connectivity of growth areas, to help unlock growth, kick-start regeneration and increase people’s access to the public transport network.
The focus in growth areas such as Charlton Riverside and the Royal Docks has been particularly on better connections and increased capacity to major centres of employment such as central London and Canary Wharf, as well as improving local links with buses, increased capacity and new trains on the Docklands Light Railway and better provision for walking and cycling.

Tube Escalators

Keith Prince: Giving a yearly breakdown since 2015/16, how many escalators at Underground stations have a) broken down or b) been out of action? For each incident, please include details of how long the escalator was out of use.

The Mayor: London Underground's escalators are heavy duty machines which operate for over 20 hours per day, 364 days a year. Escalators carry millions of passengers each year and can be taken out of service for both planned and unplanned maintenance. Like other assets such as trains, track and lifts, Transport for London (TfL) has a continual programme of maintenance and renewal for its escalators, which must be refurbished every 20 years and replaced every 40 years. Due to the nature of the work, replacement and refurbishment can take a number of months to complete.
Escalator availability on the Tube network overall is very good and is improving year-on-year. Availability has risen from 97.6 per cent in 2015/16, to 97.7 per cent in 2016/17, 99.46 per cent in 2017/18, and 99.62 per cent in 2018/19.
Please find below a summary table of planned and unplanned escalator closures since 2015/16.
Period
Escalator closure - unplanned
Escalator closure - planned
Total
2015/16
2,782
52
2,834
2016/17
3,131
45
3,176
2017/18
3,220
49
3,269
2018/19
3,181
49
3,230
2019/20
843
7
850
Total
13,157
202
13,359
See the attached table for a full breakdown.
TfL publishes a list of all planned station, lift and escalator closures and this can be found here: https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/stations-lifts-and-escalators-works-and-closures

Cycling Tunnels

Tony Devenish: One of my constituents asks: Has TfL has given any consideration to building cycling tunnels to cover roads where building surface level cycling infrastructure is unfeasible?

The Mayor: The construction of tunnels for people cycling is not a realistic or feasible option in London. There are significant issues with access to and from this type of infrastructure and there are some significant constraints on construction. Furthermore, this type of infrastructure would be extremely costly to introduce, especially in comparison to on-street infrastructure.
TfL’s approach to providing cycling infrastructure is based on the Healthy Streets Approach, which aims to address congestion, poor air quality, road danger and physical inactivity in the Capital by making London’s streets safe and attractive for everyone.
Our investment in new cycling infrastructure is therefore not just about improving conditions for cycling, but will also make walking and using public transport more appealing by providing additional footway space and new pedestrian crossings and improving cycle access to public transport hubs. Ultimately, it is by addressing the car dominance of London’s streets that we will make walking, cycling and public transport appealing choices for everyone.

CS9 (2)

Tony Devenish: Do you accept that if CS9 goes ahead “Traffic flows on the Hogarth Lane section of the A4 to the west of Hogarth Roundabout are predicted to increase by 5% as a result of the proposed scheme resulting in more than 5,000 vehicles using this section of road per day.”?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL)’s analysis has shown that there are almost 5 million short car journeys made every day in the Capital that could reasonably be cycled instead, highlighting the huge potential for cycling to replace many car trips. Schemes such as Cycleway 9 aim to introduce new and improved facilities for people walking and cycling, encouraging use of active and more sustainable modes of transport and thereby ­­reducing car journeys.
TfL’s traffic modelling forecasts local decreases in traffic volumes in some locations and increases in others. For example, there are slight increases on Hogarth Lane and decreases in other locations such as Kew Bridge Road, Kensington High Street, Wellesley Road and Chiswick High Road. TfL would actively monitor and manage traffic conditions following the delivery of Cycleway 9 to mitigate and manage traffic reassignment. Safety concerns are the number one barrier to people choosing to walk and cycle instead of drive, and I will, therefore, continue to promote the delivery of high quality walking and cycling routes.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (21)

Andrew Boff: How many residents in South London boroughs currently pay for a TfL travelcard? Please give a breakdown of type (zones) and duration (annual or monthly).

The Mayor: Most Travelcards sold by Transport for London (TfL) are purchased by customers who choose not to share their personal details through the registration process.This means that unfortunately, it is not possible to answer this question.

Gold card discounts on Oyster

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to MQ 2019/11973, how many Gold card customers do not activate their gold card discount on their oystercard? How much would these passengers have saved in 2018 if they did have their gold card discount applied and what steps are you taking for this discount to automatically be applied on oyster?

The Mayor: There are currently 140,000 Annual Travelcards on Oyster cards and, of these, 123,000 have not set the Gold Card discount.
Transport for London (TfL) estimate that these customers each made an average of 10 journeys that would have been charged at a discount if the discount had been activated in 2018, representing an average saving of around £6.50 per customer per year.
TfL remind all Oyster Annual Travelcard customers to set the discount when their Gold Card is issued. However, as it is a National Rail discount, the Train Operating Companies and National Rail websites are the prime source of customer information.
It remains TfL’s intention to consider an automatic process when it plans an upgrade to the Oyster system that would support such a change.

Northern line works at East Finchley

Andrew Dismore: Loud works were undertaken between 3 and 4 am on July 4th on the Northern Line around East Finchley Station, causing severe disturbance to neighbours. What was the nature of the work, was it planned, and why was no notification sent to local residents? Could such work not be carried out earlier in the night to provide local residents some respite?

The Mayor: As part of Transport for London (TfL)’s ongoing maintenance works, a track fault was identified nearby East Finchley station, and works were carried out at short-notice to rectify this issue. This was essential work, necessary to provide a safe and reliable Tube network. It would not have been possible to carry out these works while the Tube network was operational.
TfL apologises for any disturbance caused to residents. Unfortunately, due to the need to carry out these works at short-notice, it was not possible to notify local residents ahead of these works taking place.

Northern Line Extension (1)

Florence Eshalomi: In May 2018, responding to my question about a £240 million rise in the cost of the project, you said “This is a commercially sensitive matter so it is not appropriate for me to discuss details, but the point is that the additional work that we have had to do has been undertaken because of the changes made by the developer, so we expect them to pay for those changes. The conversations/discussions are ongoing, so we will just wait and see what happens.” 12 months on, are you able to update me on the result of those discussions and what increased cost, if any, will fall on TfL?

The Mayor: The original funding for the project was £1.044bn. The first £1bn was paid up-front by the GLA to be repaid from:
TfL now expects the final cost of the project to be within approximately 10 per cent of the original funding. Any costs in excess of £1bn will be covered by Transport for London (TfL), which has reached an agreement with the developer to address the additional time and costs arising from the changes made at Battersea. This agreement is commercially sensitive while the programme is in delivery so TfL cannot disclose details at this time.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (8)

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide the total number of incidents of crime on London Bus routes North of the river over the last year and a breakdown by type of crime?

The Mayor: The below table shows the number of recorded crimes on London Bus Routes north of the river during 2018/2019.
It’s important to note that there are 21 boroughs north of the river, compared to 12 boroughs south of the river. A number of heavily used sections of the network, such as Westminster and the City of London, are north of the river. The transport infrastructure and passenger volumes are very different, which means it is not possible to make direct comparisons between levels of crime in north and south London.
Recorded crimes on the Bus network 2018/19 – North London
Crime type
Number of recorded offences
Burglary
14
Criminal Damage
333
Drugs
99
Fraud & Forgery
1
Other notifiable offences
128
Robbery
906
Sexual Offences
461
Theft & Handling
4854
Violence against the person
3646
Total
10442

Inclusive communication of bus stop closures

Caroline Russell: A constituent has raised concerns about the signage for bus stop closures and diversions not being fully inclusive, particularly for blind and visually impaired people. What steps will Transport for London (TfL) take to make communication of bus stop closures inclusive and far less reliant on visual messages?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is exploring a range of options to improve the accessibility of disruption information for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, and is working with technology companies to find innovative solutions. Options under consideration include the use of more tactile materials at bus stop closures, and ‘iBeacon’ technology to alert visually impaired people that they are approaching temporary works. TfL is also undertaking guided tours with visually impaired people to understand the impact of temporary works and how these can be managed better. TfL is working hard to make sure that all changes to the network are recorded on its website.
In addition, TfL is running a number of training courses which will help those responsible for future solutions to better cater to accessibility issues. This includes Disability Equality Training, focusing on ways both frontline and professional services staff can make a difference to customers by removing accessibility barriers, Equality Impact Assessment Training, to upskill staff to deliver best practice Equality Impact Assessments for projects, and Inclusive Design Training, on best practice principles for design, implementation and management of inclusive spaces. TfL also ran ‘Hello London’ training for all 25,000 bus drivers between 2016 and 2018, which included in-depth sessions on how to effectively manage a number of customer situations and improve customers’ experiences.

Cremorne Bridge

Caroline Russell: I note the recent ‘pausing’ of the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Bridge which may potentially release Healthy Streets budget for other projects. The Cremorne Bridge has a completed design and would be a valuable crossing for Londoners. Following Wandsworth Council’s success in raising nearly two thirds of the cost of this new walking and cycling bridge across the Thames from Battersea to Fulham, will you consider a contribution towards its construction?

The Mayor: The Cremorne Bridge would be a useful addition to the local area. However, my strategy for river crossings remains focussed on providing greater connectivity in the east of London where the river is a significant barrier to those walking and cycling, compared to the west of London which is relatively well served by existing connections.
I have offered continued technical support through Transport for London (TfL). However, it is the responsibility of the bridge promoters to secure support, permission and funding. There is currently no provision in TfL’s Business Planfor the Cremorne Bridge project, and I expect this to remain the case.
Meanwhile, although TfL has paused work on the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Bridge as it is currently unaffordable, there is still a strong case for enhanced crossings in the east of the city for people who want to walk or cycle over the river and TfL is now exploring options for a fast ferry service to support improved connectivity and new homes and jobs.

GLA NDAs

Susan Hall: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, how many Non-Disclosure Agreements have been signed by staff leaving the GLA?

The Mayor: The GLA does not require employees to enter into stand-alone NDAs when leaving, but only when additional terms are agreed as part of a settlement agreement.

The Authority is committed to ensuring the continued employment of all employees wherever possible. There are, however, circumstances where employment is terminated on the grounds of redundancy or in the interests of the efficiency of the service. The following settlement agreements have been signed by staff leaving the GLA:
The July 2018-June 2019 figures reflect several restructures across the GLA which concluded in this period (including the Secretariat, Housing and Land and Resources directorates). A number of long-standing employee relations issues were also brought to a close.

GLA’s settlement agreements include a clause to prevent the disclosure of its terms. This is to protect the financial information, personal data and details of any employment-related issue that may have given rise to the agreement. It expressly states that employees are not prevented from disclosing details to their professional adviser, spouse or partner, or from making protected disclosures (“whistleblowing”).

The Authority’s settlement agreements are in line with best practice.

Car Free Day (1)

Leonie Cooper: How can Boroughs apply for Car Free Day funding?

The Mayor: There is no specific fund available for Boroughs to apply to for a Car Free Day. However one successful application to my Air Quality Fund – ‘Healthy Streets Everyday’ coordinated by the Cross River Partnership - included an element of Car Free Day funding for 16 boroughs.
I have also provided funding to London Play to work with residents and boroughs to deliver at least 200 Play Streets across London on Car Free Day.
Transport for Londonis also sharing the ‘Reimagine’ event toolkit with boroughs who would like to deliver Car Free Day events, which will help with marketing costs.

Water Fountains (1)

Susan Hall: As part of your water fountain scheme, how much will each water fountain cost? Please give a breakdown of the costs for the unit, installation, maintenance, monitoring and any other relevant costs.

The Mayor: To help Londoners ditch single-use plastic bottles and reduce plastic waste, I have entered into a partnership with Thames Water to install a network of over 100 drinking water fountains across London.
The water fountains were purchased through a procurement process led by Thames Water. The unit costs are commercially sensitive. The installation cost varies on a site by site basis depending on proximity to a water main, reinstatement requirements, underground obstructions and other local factors. However, the average combined cost of the unit and installation (based on the first six installations) is between £8,500 and £9,500.
The Mayor has negotiated a commitment from Thames Water to own, clean and maintain the fountains for at least 25 years at no cost to the Mayor of London, the GLA or site owners. The estimated value of this is £15m over 25 years, based on a cleaning and maintenance cost of £6,000 per fountain per year. This cost was one of the reasons that water fountains previously fell into disrepair and why they were removed so this commitment overcomes a major barrier.
The GLA have allocated £35,000 toward evaluation and monitoring for the programme.
Water fountains have proven to be very popular with the public, with more than 105,000 litres of drinking water, the equivalent of 210,000 water bottles, dispensed from 16 fountains since February 2018. This figure is captured from the individual water fountains meter readings.

Overtime undertaken by London bus drivers

Caroline Pidgeon: What monitoring, if any, is undertaken by TfL into the level of overtime undertaken by London bus drivers?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) conducts checks of unscheduled overtime, for example to see if traffic delays are leading to drivers finishing shifts later than scheduled. Congestion varies greatly across the London road network as well as by season when more people are at work or on holiday. However, it has been falling markedly quite recently, and having less knock-on effects on finishing time.
As bus drivers are employed directly by operators, not TfL, tracking voluntary overtime is a matter for the bus companies. Bus driver hours are regulated in the UK to avoid the risk of long continuous shifts and ensure suitable breaks. The legislation also sets minimum standards for rest periods between shifts and days off, to which all bus operators must ensure they comply. TfL has a long-standing process in place to conduct regular checks and review driver hours to support the compliance process. All UK bus operators must also comply with drivers’ hours as part of their operator licences, which are issued, and can be restricted or revoked, by the Traffic Commissioner if there are breaches of licence conditions.

Fair pay deal for London’s 25,000 pay bus drivers

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your announcement of 17th January 2018 stating that you have taken steps to fulfil your manifesto pledge to provide a new fairer deal for London’s 25,000 bus drivers, please state what was the assumption of the number of working hours that a bus driver would need to work to receive the minimum age of £23,000? Eighteen months from this announcement what is the current minimum wage for new starter drivers?

The Mayor: The minimum wage for new starters was based on a 40-hour rostered week, averaged over the full employment year. The yearly rate is adjusted in line with the Retail Price Index. In April 2018, the rate increased to £23,912 and, as of April this year, it grew again to £24,711. Working conditions have also been enhanced through the Licence for London, which enables bus drivers to move on more equitable terms to other operators, and through an injection of £6 million into a driver toilets programme aimed at providing facilities for 42 prioritised routes as soon as possible.